What are networking abstractions?

Networking abstractions are like invisible helpers that make it easier for devices to talk to each other without getting confused.

Imagine you're playing with your friends in a big park. You all want to pass messages to each other, but there are so many people and paths that it gets hard to know who is sending what. That’s like how computers work when they’re trying to send information across the internet, lots of devices talking at once can get messy.

Think of networking abstractions as layers in a sandwich, each layer helps out with one job, so everything stays simple:

• The first layer is like your voice when you shout a message to a friend, it just sends the sound.
• The next layer is like your friend hearing the message and understanding what it means, it handles the meaning of the message.
• The last layer helps decide where to send the message next, like choosing which path to take in the park.

Each layer works together so that sending messages feels easy, just like how you don’t need to think about every step when passing notes with your friends.